Today we celebrated the Feast of St Mary of the Cross McKillop, Australia’s own Saint and founder of the

order of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. Our own Sr Kathryn Sweeny brings the mission of St

Mary McKillop to our parish community through her works as a “Joey”. St Mary’s dedication to providing

education to poor and marginalised children saw the establishment of countless “St Joseph’s” schools

throughout Australia.

Thank you to those parents who completed the DOLSIS survey this week. Your input provides us with

valuable information to assist us in shaping our school into the future.

We are still working through our Kindergarten enrolments and will be in touch with preschools in the coming

weeks to work through the enrolment application process. Shortly thereafter we will notify families of the

acceptance of their application. We still have a number of places available so if you know of any families

who might still be looking at enrolling their child in Kinder for 2021, please encourage them to contact the

school to find out more about what we can offer.

I thank you all for remaining vigilant in relation to our restrictive practices at present. As we all remain aware

of potential changes to our daily routines, awaiting further direction from government authorities, it is

important that we don’t become complacent and disregard the protocols that are currently in place. Please

ensure that you move quickly from the pickup zones to allow other families to practice social distancing as

they pick their own children up. This is not a time for children to

play.

Please remember that we have a wonderful new Outside School

Hours Care facility here at school. Whilst this is run by an

independent company, the service operates on-site outside school

hours from 6:45am to 6pm.

Peace in Christ,

Dan Gubby

Principal

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Week 3 Term 3 Friday, 7th August 2020

ST FRANCIS XAVIER PRIMARY SCHOOL

38-50 Swift Street, Ballina NSW 2478

PO Box 1647, Ballina NSW 2478

Phone: 66 86 33 70

Email: balp@lism.catholic.edu.au

Website: www.balplism.catholic.edu.au

Message from the Principal…..

Assistant Principal News…

This week was an engaging week of learning for not just the students but for our staff as well, with two

professional development courses being attended by many of our teachers across the year levels. Both of

these teacher learning opportunities were in different areas of Religious Education. One on curriculum and

the other on theology and spirituality. It was unfortunate that the presenters could not be there in person due

to the current climate but, thanks to Zoom, we were able to have the next best thing.

From 2020-2021, 14 Lismore Catholic Schools will be piloting a renewed curriculum taught through an

inquiry-based model, informed by contemporary research. The goal is for students to make deep connections

to the Catholic faith in ways that are meaningful to them. This will allow students to ask rich questions and

to develop 21st Century skills within an academically rigorous environment.

St Francis Xavier Primary is one of these 14 schools and on Wednesday we joined together with our cluster

schools and Michael McDowell to explore the major changes that will be occurring in pedagogy and content

for the Religious Education Curriculum in our Diocese which has been called Renew. Michael is an educator,

school leader and the author of Rigorous PBL (Problem Based Learning) who Zoomed in from San Francisco

to lead the day’s workshops. Michael will be joining our Stage 3 teachers again on Monday for the next stage

in the Renew project.

On Thursday we welcomed Dr Edward Sri, via Zoom, to our school for our teachers to experience ‘A Virtual

Day with Edward Sri’. Dr Sri holds a doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in

Rome and is an adjunct professor at the Augustine Institute. He is a world-renowned theologian and biblical

scholar who has published numerous books on biblical interpretation. Edward ran three separate workshop

sessions on Mary, exploring the Mass and delving into Salvation History by unpacking God’s covenantal

relationship with the Israelites.

Regards and God Bless,

Matthew Ritchie

Assistant Principal

Parish Mass Times

SFX Ballina Parish (max 45 people)

Lennox Head Parish (max 20 people)

5.00 pm Saturday Vigil Mass 5.00 pm Saturday Vigil Mass

9.00 am Sunday 7:30am Sunday

11.00 am Sunday

All weekday Masses will be at 12.00 noon in SFX Church with a capacity of 45

people at each Mass, including our weekend Masses. Registration is essential.

If you wish to attend a Mass, please contact the Parish Office on 66811 048

by 3pm on Fridays to register your name and contact details.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS

Whole School Mass - Feast of Mary of the Cross

We celebrated the Feast of St Mary of the Cross with a special Mass in the hall today.

Mary Mackillop is Australia’s first and only saint. Mary was born in Melbourne on 15th January,1842. At

the age of 18 she moved to Penola in South Australia to take up the role as a governess. It was there that she

met Father Julian Woods. On the 19th March, 1866 Mary took up Father Woods invitation to become the first

Sister of St Joseph. In 1867 Father Woods realised that Mary and the other Sisters of St Joseph needed a Rule

of Life.

According to this Rule the Sister of St Joseph were to:

1. Live poorly, owning nothing in their own right.

2. Depend on Divine Provenance for their subsistence.

3. Go wherever they were needed.

4. Do all the good they could, and never see an evil without trying

to remedy it.

To read more about Mary’s story please visit

http://www.sosj.org.au/our-foundress-mary-mackillop/marys-

story/mary-story-beginnings/

We presented Sr Kathryn Sweeney rsj with flowers to celebrate her feast

day as a Josephite Sister. We really appreciate all the work that Sr

Kathryn does for our school and parish community. She is the hands,

heart and voice of St Mary MacKillop for us today.

Praying with Music

These Hands- Andrew Chinn. This is dedicated to Sr Kathryn Sweeney rsv

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orSJtyjPhW0

Please watch this YouTube hymn - Saint Mary Mackillop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=oSB4BtpRaQM

Keep safe and well

God Bless

Kerrily Jelfs

Leader of School Evangelisation

Kristie Coster

Leader of Catechesis

Canteen Roster – Term 3 – Week 4

Monday, 10th August to Friday, 14th August

CANTEEN VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Tammy is looking for volunteers for the canteen,

if you are able to spare a couple of hours, between

9am and 11:30, once a month please contact the

school office on 66863370 or see Tammy in the

Canteen and just let her know what day suits you.

Monday, 10th August HELP NEEDED

Tuesday, 11th August HELP NEEDED

Wednesday, 12th August Natalie Hannah, HELP NEEDED

Thursday, 13th August Louisa Ross, HELP NEEDED

Friday, 14th August Leanne & Erin Rampling, Tara Ronchi

Qkr! App for

Canteen Lunch Orders

Please click on the link to view the

Qkr! “How to Guide”

Qkr! App Link

CANTEEN NEWS

PLEASE NOTE Students are only able to order from the

Normal Menu - Monday to Friday.

There will be NO Friday Specials or

Sushi Days.

Orders to be made via the QKR App or orders to

be placed on a paper bag.

ALL orders to be placed by 8:55am.

7th August to 13th August

Gymnastics

It has certainly been a disappointing year with regards to school

sport and representative pathways. Term Three has seen

restrictions ease with regards to the running of sport in schools.

As stated in the CSNSW update, “External providers can be

used for the delivery of sport and physical activity programs. External sporting organisations can run

programs for students on the school site”.

As a result, our Gymnastics Program started this week. The Program runs for the duration of the Term (8

weeks in total).

The operators have a comprehensive “Covid Safe Plan” and will follow the guidelines each day they are on

the St Francis Xavier Ballina school site.

Alex Wunsch Memorial Trophy

It is a tradition that at the St Francis Xavier Ballina Athletics Carnival, the Alex

Wunsch Memorial Trophy is awarded to the fastest Under 12’s male and female 100m

runner in the school. Because our Athletics Carnival did not go ahead last Term, we

will look to hold 100m races for the older students later on in the year. Thank you for

your continued understanding and support.

Paddy Wilde

Sports Coordinator

Cannon Hamilton

Toby Schofield

Coco Fuhrmann

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

SPORTS NEWS

Please click on the link below to visit our website for enrolment information and an overview of our school.

SFX Website Link

If you are seeking to enrol your child in our school, please:

Download a copy of our enrolment form and school

prospectus from our school website

Complete the enrolment form and return by post or drop

it into the school along with copies of all relevant

documents (birth certificate, baptismal certificate and

Medicare immunisation records)

St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School

PO Box 1647

BALLINA NSW 2478

All of our enrolment decisions are made by the Principal, taking into account current enrolment numbers and

the needs of each student. Offers of enrolments to families will be prioritised in accordance with the School

Enrolment Policy.

Facebook Page

The school Facebook page has now been published. We will be using this platform as a celebration of events

that have happened within our school community. This will not be the main communication page for parents,

so please ensure you continue to read our weekly school newsletters and class communication pages for other

important information and updates. Go ahead and like us @ St Francis Xavier Primary School, Ballina. Or

click on the link below.

SFX Facebook Page

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Change of Contact Details

Have you bought a new mobile?

Maybe started a new job?

Moved house?

Changed your email?

KINDER 2021 ENROLMENT INFORMATION

PARENT NOTICES

It is important that the school has up to date contact details for parents and carers in case of an emergency. It

is imperative that you inform the school office of any updates, you can do this via telephone 66863370 or

email balp@lism.catholic.edu.au

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Absences Please remember to answer the SMS that will be sent out the day of the

absence. This SMS must be answered on the day it is sent. The SMS

is for absences only. Remember, all student absences need to be

accounted for. Accounting for student absences is a legal requirement

for all schools. Your assistance in providing the relevant information

to us regarding your child’s absences daily is appreciated.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Signing Students In and Out of School

If students are arriving late to school, they must be

signed in at the school office.

If students are leaving school early they must be

collected and signed out at the school office.

___________________________________________________

Students Feeling Unwell

We cannot stress enough the importance of the advice that if your child is sick or

exhibits any symptoms of being unwell, they must not come to school.

You must keep them at home and away from others. While most are following

this advice we do, from time to time, have someone who does not.

If a student falls ill while at school or exhibits symptoms of being unwell, the

current procedures apply and a parent or guardian will be contacted to attend to

collect the student. If the parent or guardian is not available to collect the student, contact will be made with

the student’s emergency contact who will be asked to collect the child.

Your cooperation and support are appreciated as it is important for the safety of all members of our School

Community. Student should not return to school until they are well and symptom free.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Enrolments for 2021

Could you please encourage anyone you are aware of who is looking to

enrol their child in any year level in 2021 to do so now – we are starting to

make decisions about 2021 and we would hate anyone to miss out on a

place.

Due to the current situation regarding COVID-19, the Inter-School

Public Speaking Competition will not be taking place this year.

However, we can still carry out a grade based Public Speaking

learning task within our classrooms to allow for the participation and

growth for our students in this important skill.

The task is completely optional for students and preparation is

done at home. Students wishing to take part need to return the

nomination form sent home today to their class teacher as soon as

possible. Then they should prepare a poem or speech according to

their Grade level listed in the table below. They will deliver the speech

or poem in front of their classmates on a date that their class teacher specifies to students and their parents.

We appreciate your support and encouragement for your child to participate in public speaking. If there are

any questions, or you require another note, please feel free to email me.

Kindergarten Poetry recitation Recite a poem from memory for about 1 minute.

Year 1 and Year 2 Poetry recitation

or speech

Recite a poem from memory for about 1 minute or speak on a

topic of their choice for about 1 minute.

Year 3 and Year 4 Poetry recitation

or speech

Recite a poem from memory for about 2 minutes or speak on a

topic of their choice for about 2 minutes.

Year 5 and Year 6 Poetry recitation

or speech

Recite a poem from memory for about 3 minutes or speak on a

topic of their choice for about 3 minutes.

Hayley Loadsman

hayley.loadsman@lism.catholic.edu.au

School Photo Day - Friday, 14th August 2020

EACH STUDENT MUST HAND IN THEIR OWN COMPLETED ENVELOPE

Sibling Envelopes are available at the school office – Please do not

place your sibling envelope inside the student’s individual photo

envelope. ALL Photo Orders need to be returned to the school

office by Thursday, 13th August. The School Photographer

accept the following payment methods: -

SCHOOL PHOTO DAY

PUBLIC SPEAKING NEWS

CASH – Enclose correct money in student envelope NO CHANGE will be given.

MONEY ORDER – All money orders are to be made payable to The School Photographer.

ONLINE CREDIT CARD – Visit www.theschoolphotographer.com.au and follow the prompts –

please write your receipt number in the space provided below. (Handling fees apply).

COMBINED PAYMENTS – If combining payments for more than one child please complete the

‘combined payments’ box.

LATE ORDERS – Any orders placed after school photographs have been delivered to the school will

incur a $15.00 handling fee (includes postage).

NO CHEQUES – Due to a change in bank policy Cheques are no longer accepted.

The initial curriculum focus for PBL at St Francis Xavier is

Religious Education, aiming to increase student engagement

and deepen their understanding of our faith. The planning of a PBL

Religious Education unit has now begun for our Year 5 and 6

teachers.

In the meantime, Year 6 are experimenting with their first PBL

unit for History titled: Lifting our Voices. In this unit, the

driving question is: How can we, as responsible local citizens,

use our voices and actions to make change happen in our

community?

Students in Year 6 will select a currently marginalised group to investigate. After identifying a problem or an

issue of concern for this group, students will write an issue statement about a challenge faced by this group

(eg. housing, employment, health, education). They will then design and implement an action plan that raises

awareness and provides a solution to the problem.

Stay tuned for further updates throughout the term!

Why PBL - further explained?

Engaged Hearts and Minds

Students actively engage with PBL projects that provide real-world relevance for learning. Students can solve

problems that are important to them and their communities.

Deeper Learning

PBL leads to deeper understanding and greater retention of content knowledge. Students are better able to

apply what they know to new situations.

A Sense of Purpose

A great project can be transformative for students. Seeing a real-world impact gives them a sense of agency

and purpose.

PROJECT BASED LEARNING

This year’s theme for book week is ‘Curious Creatures, Wild Minds’.

Book week is the opportunity to spend one glorious week celebrating books and Australian children's authors

and illustrators. It’s a time of colourful displays, reading activities, competitions, dress-up parades and the

telling and sharing of stories to highlight the importance of reading.

At St Francis Xavier we will be celebrating Book Week from Monday - 24th August to Friday - 27th

August. Unfortunately, given the current restrictions, we are unable to invite our parent and family

community to any of the events this year but we will share the events with you via Facebook and the school

newsletter.

Please see below the scheduled events throughout the week: -

EVENT DATE

Dress-up & Parade Monday, 24th August

Writer’s Festival Wednesday, 26th August

Further information to be provided.

Scholastic Book Fair Monday, 24th – Friday, 27th

Students will visit the book fair with their teachers to browse the

books & make a wish list. Forms will be provided. Further

information will be included in next week’s newsletter regarding

payment for the purchase of these books.

Sharing Stories Monday, 24th – Friday, 27th

Daniel Gubby and Matthew Ritchie will be visiting classrooms

to read and share their favourite picture book or one of the CBCA

shortlisted books for 2020.

BOOK WEEK

TERM 3

Week 4 Tuesday, 11th August School Gymnastics

Wednesday, 12th August School Gymnastics

Thursday, 13th August 2020 School Gymnastics

School Photo Order Envelopes Due

Friday, 14th August 2020 School Photo Day

Week 6 Monday, 24th August Book Week

Scholastic Book Fair - Monday to Friday

Book Week Dress Up Day for Students

Tuesday, 25th August Book Week

School Gymnastics

Wednesday, 26th August Book Week

Writer’s Festival

School Gymnastics

Thursday, 27th August Book Week

School Gymnastics

Friday, 28th August Book Week

Week 7 Tuesday, 1st September School Gymnastics

Wednesday, 2nd September School Gymnastics

Thursday, 3rd September School Gymnastics

Friday, 4th September Brainstorm Production – Buddies – K-6

Week 8 Tuesday, 8th September School Gymnastics

Wednesday, 9th September School Gymnastics

Thursday,10th September School Gymnastics

Week 9 Tuesday, 15th September School Gymnastics

Wednesday, 16th September School Gymnastics

Thursday,17th September School Gymnastics

DATES TO REMEMBER

Week 10 Tuesday, 22nd September School Gymnastics

Wednesday, 23rd September School Gymnastics

Thursday, 24th September School Gymnastics

Friday, 25th September LAST DAY TERM 3

PARENT ASSEMBLY NEWS